


if it gives you peace (keep raising hell)

by imposterhuman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angel Bucky Barnes, BAMF Tony, Demon Tony Stark, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, No Angst, Pining Bucky Barnes, Pining Tony Stark, bucky has one (1) braincell, dumbasses to lovers, now with art!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-27 10:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: “You drew the summoning circle wrong,” Tony said simply and pointed to a minute imperfection. “So I broke it. You should be more careful; one of these days, you’re going to summon something that’ll eat an angel right up.”“You’re the only demon I summon, though,” Bucky pointed out.Tony smirked wickedly. “Exactly.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> title from ashe's "choirs", which is an excellent song ngl
> 
> enjoy!

Bucky paced in front of the summoning circle, the incantation memorized from millenia of repeating. The angel wasn’t  _ technically  _ supposed to summon demons, not for a chat or a world-altering favor, but Bucky had never been one for rules. If the Almighty had a problem with it, She’d let him know. So far, though, he’d been fine.

Or, he  _ would  _ be fine if Tony would just show up. Bucky had been sitting in front of the empty circle for what felt like hours, waiting for the demon to deign him worthy of an audience. Bucky never compelled Tony, never forced him to come up from Hell, which often meant Tony would linger to test Bucky’s patience and his limits, to find the point where he would finally snap. 

After millenia, Bucky still wasn’t sure why Tony didn’t understand that he would never; at least, not at Tony (Bucky, for all his angelic nature, was far from perfect, temper wise, and Heaven was fairly anger inducing sometimes). The demon had a calming effect on him, somehow.

The circle was still empty, but there was a spark starting to grow in the center. Bucky relaxed; the hellfire meant Tony was on his way. He watched and waited for the fire to coalesce into a vaguely human form.

“You called?” Tony said from behind him, rather than from the column of hellfire in the summoning circle. 

Bucky jumped, angelic blade forming in his hand before he could even think. Summoning was dangerous; there was always the risk of bringing the wrong thing up from the Pit. Tony raised a lazy eyebrow, not even moving from the path of Bucky’s aborted swing. 

“Heavens, Tony,” Bucky breathed, scolding and relieved that he hadn’t decapitated the demon in a single breath. “What the hell are you doing? I thought you couldn’t leave the circle?”

Tony’s tail flicked like a cat’s, impatient and haughty. “You drew it wrong,” he said simply and pointed to a minute imperfection. “So I broke it. You should be more careful; one of these days, you’re going to summon something that’ll eat an angel right up.”

“You’re the only demon I summon, though,” Bucky pointed out.

Tony smirked wickedly. “Exactly.”

Bucky tried very hard not to blush and blamed any color on the heat of the hellfire. Even after thousands of years, he still wasn’t used to Tony’s flirting. If he was being honest, he was pretty sure he never would be. 

“Anyway,” Bucky coughed awkwardly, averting his eyes from the way Tony had moved to sprawl across the chair like it was a throne. “I called you for a reason.”

“All work and no play makes me a sad demon,” Tony warned idly. “What do you need this time?”

Bucky pushed down the flare of guilt he felt at that. He knew, logically, that the only times he could summon Tony was when he needed something. It didn’t make him feel less dirty, though. “A favor,” he said, the words long since routine. “Name your price.”

Normally, handing demons a blank check like that was a bad idea. But Bucky knew that Tony wouldn’t ask for anything unreasonable (except for that one time he asked for an alpaca farm, kickstarting the Neolithic Revolution. Heaven hadn’t exactly been happy, but Bucky was an angel of his word). 

Tony considered him for a minute. “I’ll tell you when I know,” he decided. “What’s the favor?”

“There’s a group of angels wreaking havoc, trying to cause the End of Days, the usual,” Bucky said, flapping his wings anxiously. They’d almost killed his best friend in their escape from Heaven. “I need your help to bring them in.”

“Why can’t you handle it alone?” said Tony, sounding bored. “A few rogue angels are no match for God’s favorite soldier.”

_ Because I wanted to see you.  _ “Because I can’t be seen interfering.”

“So do you want me to tempt them or kill them? I can go either way,” Tony shrugged, accepting Bucky’s explanation. He had done more for less; it was the nature of their arrangement that they didn’t pry too hard. Plausible deniability, and all that.

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t murder them,” he said tiredly. “They’re angels.”

“And?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m already damned. It’s not like I can Fall again.”

“Don’t kill them, Tony,” he repeated sternly. There were worse things than Hell, and Bucky would never let Tony face them, not if he could stop it. “Just get them to return to Heaven.”

The demon rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun,” he complained and melted into the shadows. Bucky knew that meant that he was on his way to do as Bucky asked.

He sat down to wait; with as powerful as Tony was, it wouldn’t take too long for the angels to fold in fear. Bucky only wished he could be there to see it.

\---

Tony reappeared a few hours later, brushing an errant flame off of his shoulder. 

“Apocalypse dealt with,” he announced, voice husky around his sharpened teeth. He bared them in what Bucky was sure was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “They’re on their way back to Heaven, tails between their legs.” He cocked his head. “Well, wings. Your lot doesn’t have tails.”

“Did they give you any trouble?” Bucky knew they didn’t; for angels, the rogue group was remarkably incompetatnt. He could’ve handled it with both wings tied, and Tony didn’t have the same compunctions when it came to fighting fair.

Tony looked at him oddly. “It was easy,” he said. “A flick of the tail here, a few damned souls there, they were trampling each other to leave. You probably could’ve handled it with a good glare. So, why call me? You know Heaven won’t be happy if they find out.”

“I told you, I couldn’t be seen interfering,” Bucky repeated, hoping that Tony couldn’t see right through him.

“You can’t be seen conspiring with a demon, either, and that hasn’t stopped you,” Tony said dryly. 

Bucky shrugged helplessly. “I…”

“I’ve decided what I want in exchange,” interrupted Tony, dusting ash off of his hands. His eyes were glowing red with power and his horns cast dark shadows on his cheekbones. He strode forward, predatory. 

Bucky didn’t back up, didn’t even feel nervous. Tony would never hurt him. “What is it?” he asked. 

“A kiss,” said Tony. His voice was low, but there was an edge to it that Bucky didn’t fully understand. “Do you accept my price?”

Bucky’s heart was beating out of his chest as Tony drew closer. Unconsciously, he leaned towards the warmth of the demon. Heaven was cold, and he was so starved for heat. “I accept the cost,” he whispered, not wanting to break from Tony’s hypnotic gaze. 

The press of Tony’s lips was everything that Bucky hadn’t known he was missing. It was chaste, almost sweet, the demon pulling back far too soon. Bucky wanted to chase his lips and steal another kiss.

“The deal is complete,” Tony said by rote, a soft smile playing on his mouth. 

“I’d like to make another, then,” Bucky said immediately. “As long as that’s the price.”

The demon leaned in, smirking. “I think,” he drawled, touch like hellfire on the angel’s skin. “That that can be arranged.”

Bucky could be convinced to sell his soul if Tony kept kissing him like that.


	2. art!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the amazing [@wecollectnightmares](https://wecollectnightmares.tumblr.com/) made this inspired by my fic and i love it!!

[see it on tumblr](https://wecollectnightmares.tumblr.com/post/188599809822/inspired-by-imposter-human-story-if-it-gives-you)

**Author's Note:**

> up next is a rusalka!nat (russian version of a siren) story thatll either be ironwidow or winterironwidow, so lmk what you prefer! after that, im thinking dragon!tony
> 
> comments and kudos make me happy!!
> 
> yell at me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)


End file.
